Sumac
Today’s ingredient is sumac berries. There are various types of sumac. Some are more poisonous than others. The ones that are most readily available are the poisonous North American one (rhus vernix) and the fruit used in Middle Eastern cooking (rhus coriara). Some people call the latter “Lebanese thymusâ€?. It has a lovely tart and slightly sour flavour and is useful in a wide range of dishes. In languages ranging from English to Hebrew, it’s known as ’sumac’. If you want the technical specifications for poisonous sumac or more about the origins of the plant, check here.
Edible sumac has a nice long history. I suspect that nice long history takes it as far back as Ancient Egypt, but I still have to explore it a bit. There are some mentions of it imported into Europe during the Middle Ages, but evidence of how it was used is much harder to discover.
A very easy salad is tomatoes, lots of parsley, olive oil, lemon juice and lots of sumac. I also add a generous amount to meat patties.
March 14th, 2007 at 5:06 pm
So… if it’s poisonous, why do you cook with it?
March 14th, 2007 at 8:30 pm
I wasn’t clear enough - serves me right for writing with flu. The edible sumac (rhus coriara) isn’t poisonous. It’s just a matter of eating the right variety.
If a pack says “North American native bush” that’s strong indicator of the wrong variet :).
April 1st, 2007 at 11:55 am
[...] Original post by Gillian Polack [...]
April 1st, 2007 at 12:30 pm
[...] Original post by Gillian Polack [...]